New Year's Resolution 5th January 1066
Created | Updated Feb 4, 2008
Atlast Edward is dead, and the throne will soon be mine. Swiped from under the nose of that Norman upstart William -the bastard. My claim to the throne is put forward to the Witan this morning and the right of William's succession appears to have been overlooked. Thank god for celebacy , Edward was never interested in satisfying his physical urges with my sister Edith and in this case an immaculate conception didn't come to pass. How righteous I now appear taking my sister back into my protection, and as a loyal servant to the King I will follow his dying wishes to the letter. Only myself and Edith were at Edward's side during those exquisite final hours and the final plan could be hatched without any evidence to the contrary , there would be no conflicting reports on Edward's final instructions. It was with a tear in my eye and a grim countenance that I declared that King Edward had passed away and I would take on the responsibilities of his Kingdom and support Edith , exactly as per his final utterances on God's green earth:
Edward had said to me in the final moments of his life " I commend my wife to your care and with her my whole kingdom"
The Witan will decide whether I should be Lord protector and King , as Edward's closest male blood relative is Edgar the Eithling , who at the age of 10 will not be a good choice for a strong King who will unite the Earldoms of England. My family have held the power for the last 14 years when we returned in glory from our outrageous exile and gained support from Leofwin of Mercia and Sward of Northumbria on the banks of the Thames . At that time England had become a Norman outpost and the English nobles were enraged by the way the Royal Court was run by those who had wormed their way into Edward's favour during his exile in Normandy prior to him becoming King. Edward remained as King, but the power had shifted into the hands of my family ,The Godwins of Wessex. All the nobles sitting on the Witan today know where their allegiances lie, and my word will not be questioned I will be King and the Godwins will take their rightful place as the rulers of this land.
There will be no time for celebration after the Coronation as preparations for the defense of England against the Norman hordes will need to be commenced immediately. The only instant satisfaction I can take is the thought of William's anger and feelings of betrayal when he receives the news that England is ruled by Harold II and that his claim to the throne has failed. Did he really believe that I would concede the throne to him or believe that I would honour the oath taken whilst captive in Normandy!! If he did then he was sorely mistaken , but he does have the weight and influence of the catholic church on his side. No doubt once the facts of my oath ,over ancient religious relics, and betrayal are communicated to Rome, I and my Kingdom will be denounced as heretics. That is very sad as the christian church is dear to me , my family and my subjects, but this is the price I am willing to pay to keep William out. I am not only taking the throne for my family but also for my loyal subjects who will lose their position and rank in the royal court if I give away this prize. My real concern is that the Holy sanction for a Crusade will rally mercenaries and forces attracted by the promises of power and wealth should I be defeated in battle. I must hold my nerve and face down this threat , and unleash my forces with all the ferocity I can muster. When I am finished with William his bloody , decapitated body will be washed back into the sea from whence it came……………I will be victorious, I will defend my Kingdom and go down in history as Harold , The Unbowed!!
Edward had said to me in the final moments of his life " I commend my wife to your care and with her my whole kingdom"
The Witan will decide whether I should be Lord protector and King , as Edward's closest male blood relative is Edgar the Eithling , who at the age of 10 will not be a good choice for a strong King who will unite the Earldoms of England. My family have held the power for the last 14 years when we returned in glory from our outrageous exile and gained support from Leofwin of Mercia and Sward of Northumbria on the banks of the Thames . At that time England had become a Norman outpost and the English nobles were enraged by the way the Royal Court was run by those who had wormed their way into Edward's favour during his exile in Normandy prior to him becoming King. Edward remained as King, but the power had shifted into the hands of my family ,The Godwins of Wessex. All the nobles sitting on the Witan today know where their allegiances lie, and my word will not be questioned I will be King and the Godwins will take their rightful place as the rulers of this land.
There will be no time for celebration after the Coronation as preparations for the defense of England against the Norman hordes will need to be commenced immediately. The only instant satisfaction I can take is the thought of William's anger and feelings of betrayal when he receives the news that England is ruled by Harold II and that his claim to the throne has failed. Did he really believe that I would concede the throne to him or believe that I would honour the oath taken whilst captive in Normandy!! If he did then he was sorely mistaken , but he does have the weight and influence of the catholic church on his side. No doubt once the facts of my oath ,over ancient religious relics, and betrayal are communicated to Rome, I and my Kingdom will be denounced as heretics. That is very sad as the christian church is dear to me , my family and my subjects, but this is the price I am willing to pay to keep William out. I am not only taking the throne for my family but also for my loyal subjects who will lose their position and rank in the royal court if I give away this prize. My real concern is that the Holy sanction for a Crusade will rally mercenaries and forces attracted by the promises of power and wealth should I be defeated in battle. I must hold my nerve and face down this threat , and unleash my forces with all the ferocity I can muster. When I am finished with William his bloody , decapitated body will be washed back into the sea from whence it came……………I will be victorious, I will defend my Kingdom and go down in history as Harold , The Unbowed!!
